1.) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to customizable computer software for use in collecting, managing, and analyzing patient medical data.
2.) Background of the Invention
Traditionally, patient medical data has been gathered and stored using paper-based systems. With the advancement of computer technology, many hospitals and other collectors of patient medical data have sought to automate their processes for gathering and managing such data. Thus, handheld computing devices have recently been used to gather and manage patient medical data. For instance, software has been developed to enable handheld computing devices to be used by paramedics and other providers of emergency medical services (“EMS”). This software is typically pre-programmed so that the EMS provider is prompted to gather pertinent information, such as the patient's name, chief complaint, etc.
Existing patient medical record software is only customizable to a limited extent. Such software typically only allows the EMS provider or administrator to change or edit features in a pre-existing data-entry screen. For instance, existing medical record software may allow EMS providers to edit the adjectives for severity of pain, or edit a list of conditions.
However, there is a strong need for greater customization. For instance, EMS providers may need to create or customize data collection screens on the data-gathering software for a future or ongoing study, or for use by a regulatory agency. The data-gathering software might also need extensive changes because of a regional health situation (such as an outbreak of a particular disease), or because of changes in medical knowledge. For, example, the software might be customized to gather information about Viagra use in patients with chest pain, since that drug may have adverse reactions with nitroglycerin, which is the standard therapy for chest pain. As explained below, the present invention provides a software tool (not just a database) that enables administrators to completely customize their data-gathering software.
The present medical data software also lacks a straightforward way to handle multiple modifiers pertaining to a particular body part, such as an ankle that is “strained,” “swollen,” and “lacerated.” The present invention provides a unique “matrix,” which allows EMS provider to intuitively gather such information.
Finally, the current software is not able to integrate two functions: the generation of natural language reports, and the storage of data in a database, which allows for complicated data queries and data mining. Instead, existing software supports one or the other of these functions, but not both. Thus, there is a need for software that stores the patient medical data in a database, but also generates natural language reports.